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Bridges: An Essay on MLK Day of Service 2020
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is today and the University of Iowa has taken a quote from King to set the tone each year for this event. This year it is: “Let us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Rather than borders, let us look at distant horizons together…
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Thoughts on Etiquette
I sometimes wonder about etiquette. Take the sandwiches in the featured image today. Of course, you can’t actually “take” them; don’t be so literal. My wife, Sena made them for lunch yesterday, after we’d worked on clearing a lot of snow and ice from our driveway and sidewalks. We were ravenous. Sena ate the neatly…
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Do Barbers Still Exist?
About once or twice a year, I consider going DIY on getting my hair cut. My wife has been doing it for decades and cutting mine as well. Do barbers still exist? Or are we now calling them stylists? I grew up in the era when males usually sat in dim waiting rooms with a…
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Baby Boomer Tools
The featured image for this post is a group of three snow shovels, one of which is my new ergonomic snow shovel, which is the one with the silver handle with the black grip. It’s right next to the old one, roughly the same model only with a crack in the blade from the time…
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Am I a Mover and a Shaker—or Just Shaky?
I sometimes wonder about whether I’m a mover and a shaker or just shaky. I think it’s the latter. I’ve known plenty of movers and shakers and they tend to be great planners. On the other hand, I tend to take the path of least resistance. Often, I don’t consider enough options and just settle…
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House Hunting Disorder
House Hunting Disorder might be my suggestion to add to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, whenever the American Psychiatric Association gets around to updating. Shopping is not one of my favorite things to do. Shopping for houses (especially a retirement home) is something I would suggest running away from if you…
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Over the Double Rainbow
We saw a double rainbow while out for a walk during a gentle rain. I know they’re not rare, they form because light bounces off raindrops, and all that. I’m not after the science angle here. I’m just hoping this was a sign of good luck to come. I’m pretty sure I’ve probably seen a…
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A Beer Called Ruthie
Ruthie is a good name for a beer. It’s a craft brew made by Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines, Iowa. It was named the official craft beer of the Iowa State Fair this year. There’s a cute picture of Ruthie on the bottle pouring beer into a couple of glasses balanced on her bosom.…
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Let Happiness Leak
This is just a post to offset the grumpy one from a couple of days ago. Sena and I took a walk on the Clear Creek Trail and she broke me up with her shenanigans. Along the way, we found a painted rock in a tree which had the word “corridor rocks” printed on it.…
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Signs to Guide Me
It’s been a long while since my last post. I’ve been busy looking for signs to help guide me in adjusting to this retirement gig. It’s a tough skill set to learn. I saw this bug on our house the other day. It turned out to be a Praying Mantis. Don’t quibble about the precious…
